Trump: U.S. Navy Has ‘Sealed’ Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump declared on April 23 that the U.S. Navy has sealed the Strait of Hormuz and that no vessel may enter or leave the waterway without Navy approval. The administration formally announced a blockade on April 13 after talks between Washington and Tehran collapsed.

U.S. naval forces have carried out enforcement actions since the blockade began. On April 19, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance fired on the engine room of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship MV Touska in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel ignored warnings; U.S. Marines then boarded and seized the ship. Three days later, Iranian forces seized two container ships and attacked a third in the Strait. U.S. forces subsequently seized an oil tanker linked to smuggling. Officials say mine-countermeasure operations have been tripled and that small boats laying mines may be fired upon.

Trump wrote, “We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!” The White House frames the blockade as a way to cut off Iranian oil revenue and to push Tehran back to negotiations. U.S. authorities say enforcement is aimed at Iranian-linked vessels and ports while generally permitting non-Iranian commercial traffic.

Maritime tracking and shipping reports show disruptions, some vessel turn-backs and instances of tankers attempting to obscure movements to avoid interdiction. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20 percent of global oil flows. Brent crude prices rose on April 23 as markets reacted to the blockade and continuing naval activity.

Iran rejected the U.S. claim of total control and described the blockade as an act of aggression, announcing it would not negotiate while the measure remains in place. Pakistani officials have been mediating between the two capitals but Iran has not indicated readiness to return to formal talks under current conditions.

The operations occur against the backdrop of a ceasefire that halted a recent escalation in late February; the president extended that ceasefire this week even as the naval interdiction continues. U.S. Central Command is coordinating enforcement across the Gulf of Oman and the Strait, and the U.S. Navy secretary was removed from his post after internal disputes over the campaign.

The situation remains fluid, with ships boarded or seized by both sides, heightened mine-countermeasure activity and ongoing diplomatic efforts. No full-scale resumption of hostilities has been reported, while commercial shipping and energy markets adjust to the heightened naval presence.